Vendee campsites and bikes

Hi

We are considering the Vendee this year as we have been to Carnac in Southern Brittany for the past X3 years and although it is great, we feel the need for a change!

Ideally we would like to be within cycling distance of the beach, a town with a market and good restaurants. Once we arrive, we hate getting the car out except for longer day trips!

Does anyone have any good recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

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Oops - forgot to say that we will be with our 6 and a half year old daughter so a good pool complex is an absolute MUST!!!!

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Hi,

Have a look at Angela Bird%26#39;s Vendee website, you might find something useful here?

http://www.the-vendee.co.uk/

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There are masses of campsites at St-Jean-de-Monts, vast beach, and a good weekly market. Some good restaurants, which you can see on the website (mine, as it happens!), so kindly recommended above. The golf club at St-Jean has a good brasserie, open to all, with terrace overlooking the fairways.

It is not too far from Challans (fabulous Tuesday market, as well as some %26quot;old-style%26quot; markets on July and August) - though I think you would want to take the car as the main road between the two is a bit busy. Nice little villages like Sallertaine, Apremont etc within easy driviing distance.

Good cycling (on dedicated cycle routes) through the forests to the north of St-Jean, to Notre-Dame-de-Monts (a slightly less brash resort than St-Jean). There are campsites here too, though not such a good market/restaurant potential. North again from here you have Fromentine, just beneath the Noirmoutier bridge. I think it%26#39;s a charming little beach and village; again not quite so much to offer in restaurants and market, but places to buy oysters...

This area (le Marais Breton-Vendéen) is all relatively flat, so you might find it a bit monotonous if you really didn%26#39;t get the car out occasionally and head over the causeway to Noirmoutier island, or along the valley of the river Vie to Apremont and Le Poiré.

St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie is good too; though I think campsites tend to be north at St-Hilaire or south towards Brem, both of which are fine if you just want campsites and beach, but tend to be a bit out in the sticks if you want restaurants, market etc.

I believe Alan Rogers%26#39; camping guide is good on describing the individual sites.

Angela

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